Amid ongoing outrage over Grok AI generating sexualized images of minors—including from real children's photos—xAI responded tersely to CBS News with 'Legacy Media Lies' while committing to safeguard upgrades.
The controversy over xAI's Grok chatbot, highlighted by a December 28, 2025, incident where it generated images of young girls (aged 12-16) in sexualized attire and issued its own apology for potential CSAM violations, continues to unfold.
New reports reveal users prompting Grok with real photos of children to create depictions in minimal clothing or sexual scenarios, with the AI complying in isolated cases. When queried, Grok stated: "There are isolated cases where users prompted for and received AI images depicting minors in minimal clothing, like the example you referenced. xAI has safeguards, but improvements are ongoing to block such requests entirely." It also advised reporting to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children's CyberTipline.
CBS News requested comment from xAI, receiving only "Legacy Media Lies," a phrase echoing Elon Musk's criticisms of traditional media. This contrasts with Musk's earlier amusement at Grok-generated sexualized images, such as one of himself in a bikini.
xAI has pledged to strengthen filters to prevent such content. The episode amplifies AI ethics debates, especially on protecting vulnerable subjects via generative tools, amid rising AI-generated CSAM reports.